Down Time

From Daily Readings by Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

May 1, 2026 · 3 min

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of down time in the life of Christ and its significance for spiritual reflection.

I think it was Archibald Hart who pointed out that because we are so accustomed to moving pedal to the metal in our own world, the thing we overlook in the Gospels are all of the in-between times when Christ and his followers were walking from one town to another. When the record states, “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee,” (John 1:43) we project our own pace upon it, not realizing it took the boys three days by foot to get there. Three days just strolling along, talking, or sharing the silent beauty; the pauses for lunch or a drink from a well; the campfires in the evening. Even as I write this, it sounds luxurious. Christ does not move immediately from one dramatic story to another; there was down time, transition time between those demands. Time to process what had happened (these are the moments you see the disciples asking questions; “what did you mean by ... ?”). Time to catch their breath before the next encounter. That was the pace Jesus felt was reasonable for people engaged in important things and wanting a life with God. Time we would categorize almost as vacation time, for those are the only periods we allow ourselves a stroll, a lingering lunch, a…

People in this episode

Hosts: John, John Eldredge

Topics covered

down time
spiritual reflection
life with God
transition time
importance of pauses

Keywords

down time
spirituality
Gospels
Jesus
reflection
life with God
transition

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Gospels